iPhone apps could mean trouble for law enforcement

'Find my iPhone' and others could make it difficult to collect evidence from a suspect's cell phone

By PoliceOne Staff

PHOENIX — LulzSec, the hacker group that hit an Arizona police website last week, has released documents detailing iPhone applications officers find troublesome, according to Forbes.

One application, called "Find my iPhone," allows users to remotely wipe data from their phones. "Using this feature will delete all data from the iPhone, including emails, account information, applications installed, music downloaded, etc," the document says. "Once the wipe feature has been activated all data is wiped and the phone is restored to the default factory setting."

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As "Find my iPhone" users can clear data from their phones from their home computers, law enforcement might be blocked from gaining access and finding possible evidence, the document says.

Another document lists other apps, and warns officers to "take the time to look at an arrestee’s cell phone to see what applications they have," according to the report. These include:

•Cop Recorder: An app that lets users "stealthily record their interactions with police or other authority figures and upload them to OpenWatch’s server" •Trapster and Police Alert: Two apps that aim to show users the location of speed traps •Caller ID Faker: An app that allows users to spoof a call’s source through the Web, entering whatever ID number they choose and even altering their voice

LulzSec released hundreds of documents from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) following last week's online attack, including personal information about officers.

"These individuals maliciously released confidential information knowing the safety of DPS employees, and their families, would be compromised," AHPA President Jimmy Chavez said.

"The AHPA would like to see the people brought to justice and prosecuted to the highest degree of the law."